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1/23/2015

1975 Gurian S3M 000-Size Flattop Guitar

X-braced, 000-size, long scale, light build: this is certainly intended to go head to head with Martin 000-18s of its day and it sounds like a more-refined version of one, too. I'm betting the wide waist and rounder shoulders help to give it a mellower tone vs. its Martin counterpart which would tend toward punchy in the mids. The slender neck on this guy gives it a playability edge for most players over a standard Martin neck, too... though I have to admit the below-soundboard hidden truss access above the soundhole is bothersome to get at.

I worked on this for a customer and it does what these high-class Gurians are supposed to do: it sounds great and plays great. It's a quality guitar.

This has a choice solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides. There's a nice half-herringbone purfling on the top edge and the back and sides are bound with rosewood rather than plastic. Nice!

My work included regluing the original bridge, making a new bone saddle, adding a set of bridge pins, leveling and dressing the frets (which was slightly challenging due to a small twist on the treble side and a bit of "ski jump" at the extension), and setting it all up. A longish, not-through, but hairline crack on the top also got filled and finished to keep it stable.

I'm 100% not a fan of these big and bulky tuners but they do work well. The rosewood headstock veneer is... tasty!

Ebony, radiused fretboard.

The three ring rosette is very snappy. Up at the neckblock this is stamped with the model # which is "S3M" (for size 3 mahogany) and a serial number which is C1877 putting it at 1975 as a production year.

It's a shame that the original saddle was missing but my new bone one tain't too shabby.

I love the rosewood binding with the half-herringbone trim. It's like something you'd see on a teens-era Martin of odd specifications.